Mountaineering season ends

Kathmandu, May 31:

This year’s Everest climbing season ended today with footprints of around 257 climbers in 10 days. This year too, majority of those who made it to the top of the world were Sherpas.

An official at the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation, Ramesh KC, said the season of mountaineering ended today. “This year’s season ended with lots of new records. It is as exciting for the whole year as it has ever been,” he said.

Namgyel Sherpa scaled the tallest peak on May 20, becoming the first to scale Everest this

year. As many as 76 people reached atop the world’s tallest peak on May 23.

Ang Tshering Sherpa, chairperson of the Nepal Mountaineering Association, said, “Apart from setting new records this year, some mountaineers have appealed to the world to keep the environment of sacred mountain Chomolongma clean and reduce the impact of global warming.”

The Eco-Everest Expedition, aimed at raising awareness about global warming, was a new initiative launched by the climbers this year. Among the climbers, who returned to the capital today, 77-year-old Min Bahadur Sherchan, the oldest Everester so far, said, “I found Everest smaller than me. I felt myself so big, so high.”

He said he did not face any problem during the ascent and he can scale the peak again. Vetran climber Appa Sherpa broke his own record by climbing Everest for the 18th time.

He said he climbed the Everest not to set a new record, but to raise awareness on climate change. The First Inclusive Women’s Sagarmatha Expedition also made history this year by scaling the tallest peak. Among the expedition members, Shaili Basnet became the first Nepali woman journalist to submit Everest.

Ang Tshering Sherpa of NMA said the Everest climbing this year did not prove as risky as

it used to be.